I almost don't even want to get into this because it makes me soo mad.. but I will because you deserve to be warned. I have no qualms with Craigslist. In fact I got a really great summer internship through a Craigslist ad. Fact remains, when you are dealing with a huge population of strangers, you run the risk of being had. There are the obvious precautions you must take when dealing with strangers like meet them in a public place, bring a friend and don't mail money. Though believe me that it isn't always that easy to know if what you are buying is authentic, especially when buying "designer" handbags.
My story starts with a few friendly emails between me and a woman selling a "Coach" handbag- used once. She was asking for $40 which seemed like a great deal for the size and seemingly great shape it was in. My interest in the sale was primarily to resell it on Ebay. At the time, I thought that it would be a great way to start up an Ebay store and establish selling credibility.
Now, I am in no way an expert on designer handbags. I have never owned one or even bothered browsing them in stores. Just one of those things where I would rather not fall for something I can't afford. Needless to say, I had a difficult time trying to pin whether or not it was authentic even after online research, Ebay's "how to spot a fake" and extensive browsing at the Coach website. What I did learn is that it can be very hard to spot a fake, even for those familiar with their fave designer. Fraudulent companies are making very impressive designer replicas and they just keep getting better. Truth is, very often people buy these bags thinking that they are real, use them for a while, and when they try to resell them they find out they are imposters.
I'll save you all of the ugly details but long story short; I bought the bag, Coach told me it was fake, the seller said, "sorry, a sales, a sale is final." I sent her a link to Coach's "report counterfeits" web page and left it alone. While this was going on I was also pending a transaction with a woman selling a "LV Globe Shopper Tote" in black and canvas. After a pleasant discussion with a LV Rep I learned that the black and canvas version was never made. When I confronted the seller, she never replied. I can only assume that she decided to wait for the next sucker to bite.
In conclusion, I have decided not to purchase anymore handbags from Craigslist. I suggest that if you want authentic, you find authentic distributors.
Resources:
How to spot a fake Coach
How to spot a fake Louis Vuitton
Coach counterfeit education
How to spot a fake Gucci
No comments:
Post a Comment